View Poll Results: Do you think rounded/domed cam pins improve performance of your AR?

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  • Absolutely. The pin moves more freely, eliminating some friction and heat/wear

    1 9.09%
  • Meh. I've read about it, but the world isn't going to end if I don't get around to it.

    9 81.82%
  • WWTBLS?/I like chicken. Who else likes chicken?

    1 9.09%
  • I've written a long diatribe of my jejune cogitations for you to peruse. Prepare to be enlgihtened!

    0 0%
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  1. #1
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    Opinion: Cam pins

    Rounded, or domed ones specifically. Do you use them? Have you tried them? Got an opinion; post it here.

    The thought of upgrading to them has crossed my mind, but I'm wondering if there's a benefit beyond the perception that it reduces friction in the pathway. I swore I wouldn't get this far into tinkering, but the thought intrigues me. What are your experiences with them? I haven't been able to find much using search, so I'm wondering if it bombed or is ineffectual in reality.

    The two parts I've been looking at in particular are the Lantac UAR and the POF, cam pin.

    I get that parts are consumable thanks to wear and tear, but is there any kind of performance improvement in addition to reduced friction? Is it part of a bigger set of improvements like the UAR that gets the benefits going? What? If you have an opinion on this dump it in here. Thanks in advance for the education on this subject.
    There's no "Team" in F**K YOU!

  2. #2
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    The cam pin interfaces with the sides of the upper, keeping the bolt aligned with the RE. I like the flat larger bearing surface of a slightly beveled or square cam pin.

  3. #3
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    I can't remember where I read it but on some page on the internet somewhere some dude that I never heard of said they aren't as effective as advertised. He went on to say that his guns ran fine with either or leading him to think that it didn't make a difference.

    That's all I know (how's that for third hand information!)

    I've never tried it myself.

  4. #4
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    Your asking the wrong question. You should be asking if anyone has ever broken a standard cam pin under a heavy firing schedule. I run NIB coated pins and havent broken one yet. If it aint broke dont fix it. Besides if it was the magic sauce it claims to be manufacturers would be using them. With the POF you have to use their gas key as well and then re-stake it.
    The best way to survive a violent encounter is to be the one inflicting the most violence.

  5. #5
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    The bolt does break there, so would something different impact the stress on that hole?
    There's no "Team" in F**K YOU!

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joelski View Post
    The bolt does break there, so would something different impact the stress on that hole?
    Well, how does stress get there? The cam-pin must transmit it, or the cam pin must not. Binary. If the cam pin does not, then the cam-pin shape doesn't matter. If the cam-pin does, then it does so via interaction with another component, and if it's cracking heat treated steel, and we know the only other thing it's touching is aluminum, then I'd really rather not reduce its surface area of contact with the aluminum, because physics.

  7. #7
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    The two biggest reducers of friction I have found are the JP enhanced gas-ring, and a quality QPQ BCG/cam-pin of mil-spec dimensions. These two things considerably slicken the process.

  8. #8
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    One of the few areas on an AR that actually "break in" is the cam pin track in the upper. For that reason I go to all lengths to keep the cam pin I used initially in that weapon. On the few weapons I started off with different style cam pins I've noticed 0 change from a Milspec one. Except for a POF cam pin in a .308 that failed in less than 500 rounds.

  9. #9
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    I've run lantac BCGs for a few thousand rounds. Never seen a perceptible difference between the Lantac domed cam pin and milspec in feel or in wear

  10. #10
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    The Lantac domed style does not wear the cam pin track like a standard milspec pin. The pin itself starts to show wear around 3500 but no wear in the track on the upper that bolt lives in.

  11. #11
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    The only aftermarket cam pins I've used is the POF. They were swapped out on a piston upper, when there was a lot of cam pin wear on the inside of the upper. Swapping out to the POF solved this issue. Other than that, I just use the cam pin that comes with the BCG.

  12. #12
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    Is this really something to obsess about? Colt cam pins are $7.99 at brownells and bcm sells theirs for $4.95.
    Will - Owner of Arisaka LLC - http://www.arisakadefense.com

  13. #13
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    Swapped out a can pin once in a certain bcg as it was guoging upper pretty bad and having some issues , to a NIB one ( don't remember brand) had some issues and upon inspection measuring they were bigger, thru back in a new std colt pin or something of the like and no problems since.

    Other then that always ran the one that came with the bcg, never ran a nitride one I'm just talking std stuff..

  14. #14
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    Rubber City had a huge run of out of spec cam pins. I had one lock up a Vltor upper. Funny part is they tried to deny it for weeks.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slippers View Post
    Is this really something to obsess about? Colt cam pins are $7.99 at brownells and bcm sells theirs for $4.95.
    It's just discussion. I wanted to learn more about the pros and cons, couldn't find anything really enlightening, so I asked. Even impatience is an opinion, so thanks for that.
    There's no "Team" in F**K YOU!

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